Ingrid Nilsen Posts Cystic Acne Selfie on Instagram

Beauty vloggers and influencers go to great lengths to present their best selves both online and IRL. From ring lights to filters to shape-shifting makeup, a lot goes into the illusion of perfection. Ingrid Nilsen, however, wants to remind her followers that perfect skin isn't synonymous with beauty — and posted an acne-positive selfie to prove it.

On Tuesday, she Instagrammed a photo in which she appears to be wearing minimal makeup; a large, cystic breakout is visible just on her left cheek, right by her nose. "Pimples happen. At 29 (after years of adult acne, scars, etc.) this is the first time I have felt completely at ease and pretty while breaking out," she wrote in the caption. "I haven't tried to cover it up with makeup and there's no filter on this photo," she added, encouraging her followers to adjust their outlook on beauty and breakouts.

She goes on to call out the beauty industry for perpetuating unrealistic standards, but doesn't pretend to mask her own role in the matter: "There are so many messages being thrown at us every day telling us what's beautiful and what's not," the caption continued. "As someone who has been in the beauty industry for almost 10 years, I've definitely contributed to this." The vlogger has nearly 4 million subscribers on YouTube, and her Instagram account boasts 1.5 million followers — that's a lot of people getting up close and personal with your acne. But it's her willingness to be open about her skin that makes this such a big deal.

"Personally, I have grown to dislike the terms 'good' and 'bad' skin because they come with dangerous consequences," Ingrid wrote. "If you have 'good' skin you feel the pressure to maintain this perceived level of perfection and any blemish, wrinkle or scar is felt as a personal failure. If you have 'bad' skin you feel like you are less than and the pursuit of 'good' skin can be absolutely exhausting. Ultimately, what these two things have in common is the feeling that we're not good enough."

She went on to share an epiphany that may very well change the way you perceive your own acne. "It hit me last night that this pimple is a physical manifestation of all the work I did last week. I pushed through nerves, anxiety, and some of my biggest fears to strive for something I've always wanted to do," Ingrid wrote. "I'm proud of that and if this is my body's way of saying 'We did it, but MAN I'm tiiiiired!' then I'm proud of that too."

Ingrid's meaningful selfie is indicative of a larger acne-positive trend on Instagram that's breaking down the stigma associated with breakouts; just look at celebs like Justin Bieber and Lili Reinhart, both of whom took to social media to publicly own up to dealing with zits — and being totally inspirational in the process.